Paul Doyle has changed his plea to guilty for all 31 charges after ramming his car into a crowd at Liverpool's Premier League title victory parade. The 53-year-old previously said he was not guilty of dangerous driving, affray, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, causing GBH with intent, and wounding with intent in September. But more than six months on from 130 people being injured in the incident, Doyle has now pleaded guilty and a sentencing awaits.

• Doyle faces jail sentence of 'some length'

  According to BBC News, Doyle sobbed as he changed his pleas – for affray, dangerous driving, 17 counts of attempting to cause GBH, nine of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent – on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court. The charges relate to 29 people aged between six months and 77 years, all of whom were there on May 26 when Doyle's attack on the parade happened in Liverpool city centre. His Honour Judge Andrew Menary KC, told Doyle it was "inevitable" he would be facing a custodial sentence of "some length". A sentencing date has been set for December 15 at the same court.

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• AFP
  

  Celebrations turn to nightmares

  On a day that should have been remembered for Liverpool's title celebrations, it ended up being hijacked by scenes of terror on Merseyside. A total of 50 people required hospital treatment after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy into the dense crowd on Water Street, leading to his subsequent arrest. According to The Athletic, no explanation was given in court for his actions but more details are likely to take place when the former Royal Marine is sentenced next month. 

  Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald, of Merseyside Police, said it was only by "sheer luck that nobody was killed" because of Doyle's "reckless actions". And Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor of the Crime Prosecution Service, described Doyle's actions as an "act of calculated violence".

  "Dashcam footage from Doyle's vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds," she said. "Rather than wait for them to pass, he deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through. Driving a vehicle into a crowd is an act of calculated violence. This was not a momentary lapse by Paul Doyle — it was a choice he made that day and it turned celebration into mayhem."

• 'Distressing and frightening experience'

  The Judge told Doyle that he would consider "character evidence" from his defence lawyers before deciding on a verdict. 

  "The purpose of the delay is to ensure that everything is prepared and the court has, in writing, all the submissions that are to be made in respect of the sentencing exercise," said Menary. "In the meantime, you must remain in custody. Plainly, its is inevitable there will be a custodial sentence of some length, and you should prepare yourself for that inevitable outcome."

  Officer Fitzgerald also gave a snapshot of the horror experienced on that day.

  He told the court, "It is hard to forget the shocking scenes from that day. What should have been a day of celebration for the city turned into a distressing and frightening experience which we know continues to have a physical and psychological impact on many people. We know that a lot of people are still recovering from the injuries they suffered on that day and our thoughts remain with them and those that continue to be affected. We hope that the knowledge Doyle is now facing a considerable prison sentence will be able to help those affected to move on with their lives."

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• Liverpool release club statement

  Liverpool have issued an official statement responding to the news of Doyle's change of plea, which reads: "Our victory parade last May allowed an unprecedented number of Liverpool fans to celebrate together our Premier League title win – something we were unable to do in 2020. The day of incredible joy ended in unimaginable circumstances and we hope today's conviction brings some peace to all those affected by the horrific incident. Our thoughts are with them all. We would like to thank our emergency services and partner agencies – Merseyside Police, North West and St John Ambulance Services, Merseyside Fire & Rescue – and members of the public, who responded with such bravery and compassion on the day. Their actions undoubtedly saved lives and exemplified the spirit of our city."

Glenn Maxwell had the cast removed off his fractured wrist on Wednesday and has started mobility work with the hope of potentionally playing in the last three T20Is against India

Alex Malcolm09-Oct-2025

Glenn Maxwell is optimistic he can still play a part in Australia’s upcoming T20I series against India despite having surgery on his fractured right wrist last week.Maxwell suffered the fracture when he was hit on the wrist by a powerfully struck shot from Mitchell Owen while bowling in the nets in the lead-up to the T20I series against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui.He was immediately sent home to see a specialist and opted to have surgery to try and hasten the recovery time down to four weeks to give himself a chance to play against India.Related

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Maxwell was not named in Australia’s squad for the first two T20Is on October 29 and 31 in Canberra and Melbourne, but speaking in Melbourne on Thursday, he hoped to be fit to play a part in the final three matches, with the third match of the series on November 2 in Hobart, the fourth on November 6 on the Gold Coast, and the final match in Brisbane on November 8.”I think having the surgery last week sort of gives me a little bit more hope of playing some part in that India series, if I can get myself right,” Maxwell said. “The only reason I had the surgery was the options they gave me were miss that series completely and no surgery, or have surgery and it gives me a slim chance to hopefully play a part. And if not, I’ll be ready earlier for the BBL, and I think it leaves me in good stead to get the rest of my body right.”Maxwell said he had a cast removed on Wednesday and will now wear a moulded plastic splint to protect it for a period of time, but he had been given the all-clear to start moving the wrist again. “I only met with a hand therapist yesterday,” Maxwell said. “He only gave me some really basic movements, things that look really boring, but I suppose they’re going to strengthen the wrist.”Returning early for the back-end of the India series is unlikely to come with any added risk in terms of further injury. Maxwell said the main concern will be pain management depending on how it feels when he bats.It is yet another freak injury to add to Maxwell’s bizarre catalogue, that includes a broken leg at a birthday party and a concussion from falling off a golf cart.”I was probably just a bit unlucky with the position that it hit me on the arm,” Maxwell said. “When it hit me, I thought I was lucky that it hit just bone and it wasn’t too much flesh, and it was going to be right.”But, yeah, another unlucky one.”The injury has made him rethink bowling in the nets to power hitters like Owen and some of his other team-mates. “I try to avoid bowling to those guys,” Maxwell said. “Guys like Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Mitch Owen and Cam Green, long levers, strong, it just comes back too quick. It’s not fun, But I should know better. I should know better to bowl into the hip and I’ll be doing that I think come BBL time.”Maxwell was frustrated to miss the series against New Zealand given he was in excellent form. In his last T20I innings in August against South Africa, he steered Australia home to a series win with a remarkable 62 not out from 36 balls in a nail-biting chase. Then in late September, despite retiring from ODI cricket earlier in the year, he played two Australian domestic One-Day Cup matches for Victoria to prepare for the New Zealand tour and smashed 107 off 82 balls against Queensland.Glenn Maxwell pulls behind square•Getty Images

He was asked whether he had a timeline on the end of his T20I career and if the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles were in his mind, but he said he had not thought past December.”I’m literally thinking about round one of the BBL at the moment,” Maxwell said. “Let’s just get there first. If I’m still enjoying my cricket by then… I’m not setting dates or anything.”Maxwell is excited about the upcoming BBL season where he hopes to help Melbourne Stars to an elusive BBL title, having been equal Player of the Tournament last season as they played the finals for the first time since losing the 2019-20 final under his captaincy in heartbreaking fashion to Melbourne Renegades.He said the arrival of former India spinner R Ashwin is going to supercharge the BBL season.”That’s really exciting,” Maxwell said. “It’s great for the competition. I think anytime you can get world-class superstars who have got the career that he has as a part of the BBL is a massive bonus for us. He’s been extremely successful. He’s got a hell of a lot of wisdom in the game. I think he’s going to give back a lot to the players in the BBL. I don’t think it’s just the Sydney Thunder, I think the guys that are playing against him will probably ask him a lot of questions, and he’s certainly going to bring in a lot of fans as well.”

Matt Henry has a calf strain, which kept him out of the second ODI against England

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2025Kristian Clarke, the 24-year-old Northern Districts fast bowler, has earned a maiden New Zealand call-up for the third and final ODI of the ongoing home series against England.He is the replacement for Matt Henry, who has a calf strain, which ruled him out of the second ODI against England on Wednesday. Henry will return home to Christchurch from Hamilton, where the second ODI was played, instead of travelling with the team to Wellington, where the third game will be played on Saturday.Clarke came into the squad with good all-round form behind him. On Thursday, he first scored an unbeaten 107-ball 100 not out, his first century in representative cricket, and then returned 3 for 57 as Northern Districts trounced Central Districts by 113 runs (DLS method) in a Ford Trophy match in New Plymouth.Overall, in a domestic career that started in 2022, Clarke has 332 runs at an average of 22.13 and 52 wickets at an average of 26.55 in 31 List A games. He has also played 25 first-class games and 19 T20s and was also part of the New Zealand A team that toured Bangladesh earlier this year/He came into prominence at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, where he scored 62 runs in three innings and was New Zealand’s most successful bowler, picking up seven wickets in three innings.New Zealand have already pocketed the ODI series against England, having won the first two ODIs, in Mount Maunganui and in Hamilton. Their next engagement is the T20I series at home against West Indies from November 5.

Cal Raleigh is re-writing the record books once again—this time for the Mariners.

Raleigh hit his 57th home run of the season off Astros pitcher Framber Valdez on Saturday, and now passes Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise's single-season home run record.

Griffey Jr., a Hall of Famer and 13-time All-Star that played for Seattle from 1989-99 and 2009-10, hit 56 home runs in a season for the Mariners in both 1997 and 1998. Now, Raleigh has passed that mark and his 57 long balls are tied for the 17th-most in a single season by any player in MLB history.

Earlier this week, Raleigh tied Griffey Jr.'s record and also broke Mickey Mantle's record for the most home runs in a single season by a switch-hitter. Mantle hit 54 home runs in 1961 to set the record, and over 60 years later, Raleigh has broken that mark and become the second switch-hitter to surpass 50 home runs in a season.

Along with these records, Raleigh previously broke Salvador Perez's record for most home runs in a season by a catcher. Perez hit 48 home runs in 2021, and Raleigh surpassed that nearly a month ago.

مع اقتراب موعد قرعة كأس العالم 2026 في الولايات المتحدة والمكسيك وكندا، وصل ليونيل سكالوني مدرب منتخب الأرجنتين إلى واشنطن لحضورها وتحدث عن المنتخب الأرجنتيني بطل مونديال 2022 في قطر.

وأكد سكالوني بأن يركز فقط على أن يصل لاعبو المنتخب الأرجنتيني إلى كأس العالم بحالة جيدة، وعلق على موعد مباراة نهائي الفايناليسما أمام منتخب إسبانيا.

وقال سكالوني في تصريحات نشرتها “TYC SPORTS” الأرجنتينية: “بالمقارنة مع القرعة السابقة أشعر براحة أكبر، لم تكن جميع حساباتنا في مصلحتنا في كأس العالم الأخيرة”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. كولينا يوضح موقفه من استخدام تقنية الفار في الركلات الركنية خلال كأس العالم 2026

وأضاف: “الأهم أن ندرك أنه إذا كنت تريد تحقيق أي شيء يجب مواجهة الأفضل وفي كأس العالم ستكون هناك العديد من المنتخبات الجيدة”.

وكان الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم قد قرر أن الفرق الأعلى تصنيفاً قبل القرعة ستتجنب مواجهة بعضها البعض في المراحل الأولى من البطولة ولذا لن تلتقي على سبيل المثال الأرجنتين ضد إسبانيا إلا في نهائي افتراضي بشرط أن يحتل كل منهما المركز الأول في مجموعته، ومع ذلك لم يهتم سكالوني لهذه الميزة: “هناك العديد من الفرق الجيدة، انها غير مقتصرة فقط على المنتخبات الأربعة الأولى، هناك الكثير من المنتخبات القادرة على المنافسة، من ربع النهائي فصاعداً سيكون هناك دائماً خصوم أقوياء”.

وواصل سكالوني عن حالة لاعبيه البدنية: “نحن بخير، إن كان علي أن أقول شيئاً يسعدني، هو أننا مازالنا نكافح كما لو أننا لم نحقق أي فوز بعد، الآن همي الوحيد أن يصل اللاعبون في حالة بدنية جيدة”.

وسئل سكالوني عن قرار ميسي بالمشاركة في كأس العالم 2026: “سيقرر، وسندعم أي قرار يتخذه، في الوقت الحالي كل شئ يسير على ما يرام ولكن لا يزال هناك وقت، على الرغم من أن الأمر أصبح قريباً، إلا أن ستة أشهر في عالم كرة القدم تعتبر فترة طويلة، نأمل أن يكون ميسي بصحة جيدة وأن يتخذ قراره الأمثل، هو يستحق حقه في اتخاذ القرار”.

وأعرب سكالوني عن أسفه لعدم إقامة نهائي الفايناليسما ضد منتخب إسبانيا حتى الآن :”كان من الممكن أن تقام في وقت مبكر، الآن ننتظر ولم نتلق أي اخبار، سافرت مع لويس دي لا فوينتي وهو صديقي والذي منحني دورة تدريبية، ليس لديه تأكيد حتى الآن أيضاً، لذا دعونا ننتظر ونرى”.

The Mariners are calling up their No. 4 prospect catcher Harry Ford, MLB.com reported on Monday. It's unknown when Ford will make his MLB debut.

This decision by Seattle may appear puzzling as the team's catcher Cal Raleigh is the AL MVP favorite and leads the league with 50 home runs. Raleigh isn't hurt or anything, so calling up Ford sounds like a backup situation. Ford will likely be placed as designated hitter or will play as catcher when Raleigh needs a rest day.

Ford is definitely thriving in the offensive side of things in Triple A Tacoma this season. He's played in 97 games, posting averages of .283/.408/.460. He has 106 hits, 68 runs, 74 RBIs, 16 home runs and seven stolen bases. This is his fifth minor league season in the Mariners' organization since being drafted in the first round in 2021.

Over the course of his five minor league seasons, Ford has stolen 92 bases, which is quite impressive for a catcher.

MatériaMais Notícias

Presidente do Flamengo, Rodolfo Landim deu forte declaração sobre o poder dentro do clube e a responsabilidade financeira da diretoria. Em entrevista ao portal “ge”, o dirigente afirmou que o trabalho da diretoria poderia ser destruído em “três meses”, caso a pessoa a frente do Rubro-Negro não prudente com os gastos.

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– Eu ouço muitos jornalistas esportivos fazendo comentários interessantes. Falam de gestão de empresa e eu ouço: “O Flamengo do jeito que está estruturado, vai passar 10 anos com desempenho maravilhoso”. E eu digo para vocês: com três meses de má gestão dá para destruir o Flamengo. Não precisa de muito tempo. Com a minha caneta, dá para destruir o Flamengo. Tudo o que se construiu a gente destrói em três meses. Eu compro o Neymar, o Mbappé e mais um. Coloco 600 milhões de euros de dívidas no balanço do Flamengo – declarou Rodolfo Landim.

– É exato. Isso é uma grande verdade (a responsabilidade ser sempre do presidente). No fundo, quem tem a caneta e quem tem o poder de mudar é o presidente do clube. Eu tenho o poder de trocar quem eu quiser. Se alguma coisa foi feita errada, a culpa é minha. Se foi feita certa, a equipe é brilhante, boa e mereceu. Se deu errado, é minha. A vida é assim. A responsabilidade maior é minha. Eu continuo achando isso. Os problemas do Flamengo, quando tem problemas, sou eu o responsável. Se foi cometido o erro por alguém, foi alguém que eu coloquei lá e dei poder para ele tomar essa decisão que saiu errada. No fundo, é isso mesmo – completou o dirigente do Flamengo.

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FlamengoRodolfo Landim

West Indies won the Super OverWest Indies prevailed over Bangladesh in the Super Over, beating the home side in Dhaka by one run. Akeal Hosein delivered an imperfect final over in extra time, defending ten runs, but he kept Bangladesh in check with several dots mixed with wides and no-balls. Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto couldn’t do the job for Bangladesh, and so, the series is now 1-1.West Indies had earlier scored ten runs in their Super Over, with captain Shai Hope getting a boundary off the last ball, after Mustafizur Rahman had removed Sherfane Rutherford with his second ball.This was Bangladesh’s first tie in 814 men’s international matches.Hope carried West Indies in regulation time, getting the only half-century of the game. West Indies needed five runs off the 50th over to complete a chase of 214. Saif Hassan bowled two dot balls before conceding a single. Hope got on strike and even though he only had Hosein at the other end – the No. 10 batter playing his first game on tour – he chose to take another single.Saif punished Hope for that, bowling Hosein between his legs. Khary Pierre, the last man in, needed to get three off the final ball, but his top edge spun towards square leg. Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan ran for the catch, but he dropped the chance. He also couldn’t pass the ball on in time to Mustafizur, who was stood by the stumps, as Pierre and Hope completed two runs, tying the match.West Indies became the first team to bowl spin for all 50 overs of an ODI. The visitors overhauled a record that had stood since 2004, when Sri Lanka plied Australia with 44 overs of slow bowling. Bangladesh topped that tally up with 42 overs from their own spinners, pushing the match aggregate to 92 overs of spin – another record in this format.Rishad Hossain came good with the bat again•AFP/Getty Images

When West Indies’ chase began, Nasum Ahmed removed Brandon King in the first over. Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty batted solidly during the powerplay, with Athanaze hitting Mehidy Hasan Miraz over covers, followed by a straight drive off Nasum. He also struck two more fours, before Rishad Hossain trapped him lbw. Athanze missed with a sweep after connecting with one earlier in the over.Carty was Rishad’s next victim when he missed his reverse sweep, and the ball snuck through and hit his back leg. Debutant Ackeem Auguste swept Tanvir Islam straight to Rishad at square leg, falling for 17. Sherfane Rutherford was given out lbw next, in the 27th over, as West Indies lost half their side with 103 on the board.Gudakesh Motie and Hope tried to keep West Indies afloat, but they were separated six overs later. Rishad struck with a full ball that Motie went after with a wild slog, falling for 15. Roston Chase, batting at No. 8, followed soon after, caught behind off Nasum.From 133 for 7, Hope added 44 runs for the eighth wicket with Justin Greaves. The latter got run out trying to take a quick single, with Mehidy effecting a direct hit to get the crucial wicket. Hope handled most of the strike but Hosein struck a six, to take West Indies closer. Needing just 14 off 12 balls, it looked unlikely that they would let the game go into a Super Over.Earlier, Bangladesh struggled to get going for most of their innings after deciding to bat first. Saif was dismissed after hitting a six, while Towhid Hridoy and Shanto got out to poor shots. Hridoy top-edged a slog, while Shanto got caught at short midwicket, unable to time Athanaze’s long hop.Sarkar played some gorgeous shots in between a lot of dot balls. He made 45 off 89 balls with three fours and a six, before holing out in the deep in the 31st over. Bangladesh were 103 for 5, and looked in danger, until Nurul slammed a six and two fours for his 23, leaving Rishad to do the finishing. He struck three fours and as many sixes in his unbeaten 14-ball 39, all of which came in the last 2.1 overs of the Bangladesh innings.Athanaze was West Indies’ best bowler with figures of 2 for 14 from his ten overs, while Hosein, who flew into Dhaka on the day before the match, also picked up two wickets. Motie took 3 for 65, his figures spoiled by Rishad’s last burst of boundaries.

West Ham United’s return to Premier League football didn’t entirely go to plan on Saturday afternoon.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side looked on course to win their third game on the bounce when Callum Wilson made it 2-0 against Bournemouth in the 35th minute. However, the Cherries fought back, and thanks to a penalty and a goal from Enes Unal, came away with a point.

With that said, in the context of the season at large, it’s still a good point for the Hammers, especially as they had to make do without dynamic Crysencio Summerville and Lucas Paqueta.

Unfortunately, the Dutchman won’t be fit for the Liverpool game, but Nuno might have the perfect solution, one that involves dropping Luis Guilherme.

Guilherme's game vs Bournemouth

Now, the first thing to say is that Guilherme is still a promising talent and someone who could develop into a real star for West Ham.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, what is equally true is that he failed to make a case for why he should be in the starting lineup in place of the injured Summerville next time out.

The young Brazilian wasn’t terrible on Saturday, but he was almost entirely ineffective, looking unable to create chances for his teammates or get himself into positions where chances could be supplied to him.

Moreover, the 19-year-old still looks as slight as ever and lacks any real power or pace, which are two traits becoming increasingly important for attackers in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, the manager decided to take him off at the break, which only made his dire statistics even more pitiful.

Minutes

45′

Expected Goals

0.00

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots

0

Passes

10

Touches

21

Lost Possession

9

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

8 (1)

Dribbled Past

1

In his 45 minutes of inaction, the Brazilian registered an expected assists figure of 0.01, failed to take a single shot, took just 21 touches, failed in 66% of his dribbles, lost the ball nine times, completed ten passes, was dribbled past and lost seven of eight duels.

In short, Guilherme proved he cannot come in for Summerville again, so Nuno has to bring in one of the club’s most exciting prospects instead.

West Ham's Summerville solution

The player Nuno should bring into the squad to replace Guilherme and help solve the blow of Summerville’s injury is George Earthy.

Now, that might sound bold, and perhaps it is, but the academy gem has long been talked about as one of the club’s next stars, and his time at youth level and out on loan suggests as much.

For example, in 60 appearances for the u18s, totalling 4804 minutes, he scored 25 goals and provided 18 assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.39 games, or every 111.72 minutes.

Then, during his time with the u21s, he scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in 55 appearances, totalling 3618 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 113.06 minutes.

In other words, the Havering-born gem is a dual threat: a goalscorer and a creator.

Appearances

60

55

Minutes

4804′

3618′

Goals

25

18

Assists

18

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

111.72′

113.06′

Moreover, with 40 appearances for Bristol City last season, during which he was named young player of the year, he has plenty of genuine first-team experience under his belt already.

With all of that said, the “priceless” youngster, as dubbed by coach Steve Potts, is primarily an attacking midfielder, and so it would make sense to play him there against Liverpool, which means the man who’d actually outright replace Guilherme is actually Paqueta.

Yes, the Brazilian is also primarily a central player, but has made 36 club appearances on the left-hand side in his career, as well as six for the Brazilian national team.

Anyway, having the former Lyon gem further forward could help make the team more dangerous in attack, while also allowing the 21-year-old to get up to speed in a more familiar position.

Ultimately, it is not ideal, but Guilherme made it clear against Bournemouth that he cannot start games at the moment. Therefore, bringing the incredibly talented Earthy into the middle and allowing Paqueta to play on the left could be the answer to Summerville’s absence – at least for now.

West Ham dealt Jarrod Bowen blow as Nuno faces fresh concern about star winger

The England international is their most crucial man by some distance.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 21, 2025

There’s no denying that Chelsea employed a scattergun spending approach in the early days of BlueCo’s ownership, but that has since been streamlined over the past few years, with Enzo Maresca proving the perfect man for the job.

Sunday’s Premier League clash is a big one, with Stamford Bridge playing host to a top-of-the-table clash between Chelsea and Arsenal. The second-place Blues will narrow the deficit to just three points with a win.

This is a team building toward a period of sustained success, and the tactical readings suggest that Chelsea are already one of the most exciting attacking outfits in the division, even if there is a sense that there are several levels still to be scaled.

Chelsea

2nd

22.1

Man City

3rd

21.8

Arsenal

1st

20.7

Crystal Palace

5th

20.2

Man Utd

10th

19.9

However, a question mark lingers over number nine, with Liam Delap yet to prove he is the answer. Could Chelsea be looking to sign an upgrade?

Why Chelsea are searching for a striker

In fairness, Delap has spent a sizeable portion of his first months in west London in the infirmary. Still, since returning from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for much of the autumn, the English striker has started twice in the Premier League and failed to break his duck on both counts.

That said, he did net his first goal of the campaign for the Blues against Barcelona in midweek, coming off the bench and coolly converting to seal the 3-0 win after neat interplay between Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

However, the £30m summer signing from Ipswich Town has yet to prove he has what it takes to nail down a berth at the front of Maresca’s system, and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are searching for a potential upgrade.

They may have found one. According to Sky Germany, Chelsea are among the outfits to have been informed that Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy is worth about €50m (£44m), applicable for a number of top European outfits.

Chelsea are in the mix, and though Delap and Joao Pedro make up a dynamic central strike force in west London, Guirassy’s clinical record suggests he could add an interesting dimension to a title-challenging side.

What Guirassy would bring to Chelsea

Guirassy, 29, might not fit the age profile Chelsea have focused on targeting in recent years, but his experience and maturity in the final third would serve as a neat counterpoint to the younger generation.

Delap caught the eye for Ipswich last season, a shining light as he scored 12 goals across 37 Premier League outings. Kieran McKenna’s side were relegated, but so many teams swarmed for Delap’s signature, and Chelsea won the race.

The 22-year-old has a future at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca’s side need someone in the now who can maintain a fight against Arsenal, while pushing deep into the Champions League too.

Guirassy is “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to German legend Lothar Matthaus, and he ranks among the top 11% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

25/26

10

5 + 1

24/25

30

21 + 2

23/24

28

28 + 2

22/23

22

11 + 0

He’s hardly just a mindless poacher, with silky footwork and intelligent positioning that allows him to roam around the attacking half and link up with teammates.

But, at his core, Guirassy is indeed a goalscorer, and Chelsea may find that Delap earns fewer minutes with the Guinean striker in the mix.

It’s a tough one, but given the promising position Maresca’s side have placed themselves into, it might just be the move to make.

Maresca must finally sell Chelsea "passenger" who was like Estevao at 18

The international superstar may have once played like Estevao, but he’s now a problem for Chelsea.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025